The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-10-13
Spartanburg Snake Story.
From Spartanb,rg Herald.

viz: q horn snake-was seen on the
streets Of Spartanburg on Wednesday
afternoon. 1t is great pity, We think,
that it was not preserved and given to
some museum, as we do not suppose that
there is specimen of the horn snake to
be found in any museum North or South,
or anywhere else. The strange stories
that are told about it and the fact that
Mr.. McCravy's testimony in regard to its
mode of locomotion when pursuing his
mule corroborates what was said about
this snake in the esrly history of our
State nearly one hundred years ago,
would have made its preservation a
valuable contribution to herpotology.
Whilst at various times in our life we
have seen, and frequently seen, mention
made in the papers Of quite number of
other kind of snakes, this is the first time
we ever remember to have seen the horn
snake mentioned. 1t must be as you
say-exceedingly rare-and as this, from
its size, was probably young one, there
may possibly be one or more in the
neighborhood where this was found. If
any of our farmers should come across
another ne hope for the interests Of
science the specimen will be preserved.
The horn snake, We are informed by some
early historians, did existin Carolina, but
was so rare that its existence came to be
regarded as almost-a myth. Logan,
from whose history Of Upper Carolina
we will give some facts OF extracts, says:
"Around the history of the horned SER
pent there hangs al obscurity which,
perhaps, no research will ever fully clear
away. Some, indeed, have wholly
denied that such reptile was found on
the continent. Others admit its primi.
tive existence and describe it as curious
and harmless creature. There are others
again who, while they regard it as having
once belonged to the catalogue of our
native serpents, describe it as possessed
of venom whose fatal energy no antidote
was ever known to master" Baitram,
the botanist and naturalist who traversed
the upper part of Carolina about the
close of the revolutionary war, confounda
the horn snake with the bull snake.
There we're, however, two distinct native
serpents of Carolina, both known to the
people of the upper country. While
they were acquainted with the bull
snake, "the old people had seen and
talked much of the horn snake also,
whose sting they dreaded as the vista,
tion of DEATH"
Lawson, who traversed the upper part
of the State about 171S, says: "Of the
horn snakes I never saw but two that
remember. They are like the rattle
snake in color, but rather lighter. They
hiss exactly like goose when anything
approaches them. They strike at their
enemy with their tail and kill whatever
they wound with it, which is armed at the
end with horned substance like cocks
spur. This is their weapon. I have
heard it credibly reported by those who
said they were eye witnesses that small
locust tree about the thickness of
mans arm, being struck by one of these
snakes at ten o'clock in the morning
then verdant and fourishing, at foul
o'clock in the afternoon was dead and
the leaves red and withered. Doubtless
be it how it will, they are very venomous
think the Indians do not pretend to
cure the wound" Logan says in refer.
ence to the above: "This singular
statement of the old surveyor in relation
to the locust tree could scarcely have
ever come to the knowledge of the good
but plain people living on Coronaka and
Wilson's creeks; yet there is still extan'
in that region tradition in which it is
related that many years ago man in the
lower part of the district, orin Edgefeld.
being closely pursued by a horn snake.
took refuge behind tree when the
enraged serpent, rolling swiftly after him
like a trundled hoop, plunged its horny
sting deep into its trunk where it was
made fast, and so difused its venom into
the circulating sap as to destroy COM
pleaely in few hours the vitality of the
tree"
Hewitt, in his history of Carolina,
written in 1890, enumerates the horn
snake among the reptiles, and says il
| owes its name to the horn like sting al
the extremity of its tail. Mills, in his
statistics, also mentionsit The fact that
Lawson, in 171S, had only seen two, goes
to show that it must have been quite rare
even in the first settlement of the State
If it be as fierce and as deadly reptile
as represented, it should be matter Of
thankfulness that it is so rare. We
think, however, that it would be very
desirable that q specimen should be in
some museum, and sincerely hope that
if any of our farmers should ever come
across another they will take some pains
to preserve it as a curiosity.
"On an afternoon nearly forty years
ago." says Logan, "a party of gentlemen
were riding from Abbeville village
toward the Calhoun settlement, and when
approaching the place now known as the
Cabins, they passed a dwelling near the
wayside just at the moment when little
girl, whom they had seen to cross the
road some distance before them, gave q
piercing shrek and ran back into the
house in an agony of pain and fright.
Perceiving that something serious had
occurred they hastily alighted to ascer.
tain the matter; and entering the room
found the child stretched upon the bed
J o1-ooJr oornoo Cho hod 1;vod